Heart's Balm (How the episode Queen of Hearts should have ended)
by Katerina de Annika
Summary: A happier ending for Regina than the show's mid-season finale


Emma stopped in the doorway to Granny's, her face pinched. Snow asks her what's wrong, but she just shakes her head and turns to leave. Henry grabs her hand and she looks down at his puzzled face.

"Don't leave," He pleaded. Emma leaned down and squeezed his shoulder. "I need to. I need to go back for your mother." His eyes widened, but his grip grew slack on Emma's hand, and she smiled reassuringly at him as she made her way back down the street towards Mr. Gold's Pawnshop. She stopped as she watched Regina exit the shop, her hands shoved roughly into her pockets as a few tears slid down her face. Emma's stomach knotted. _Nonono_. This wasn't how this was supposed to end. Regina paused and turned around when she heard the hurried footsteps behind her. Her hand moved up to quickly brush the tears away as she cleared her throat.

"Miss Swan?" She asked guardedly. Emma gave her an apologetic smile. "I was so caught up in the whole homecoming that I didn't think that you might need an invitation to join us. You did save us after all, and," Regina's face was one of shock and a bit of suspicion. "it didn't register that Henry had said that he'd see you later until we got to Granny's." Emma shuffled her feet, ashamed that she had let such a simple thing as joining them for dinner slip her mind.

"I'm sorry we just left you behind. Would you please join us?" She saw Regina swallow, and was surprised when Regina's eyes got misty again. But the woman quickly regained her composure and nodded curtly. "As you wish, Ms. Swan." They both had their hands stuffed in their pockets as they wandered back to the café. After three loud, deep breaths from Emma, Regina asked, "Is there something on your mind?" She gave her a sidelong glance as they neared the diner. "Well, yes, as a matter of fact." Emma replied, coming to a halt a few steps from the door. Regina stopped and turned to face Emma, tilting her head a bit to the right as she watched the Savior curiously. Emma's eyes moved up to meet Regina's, and she sighed again. "I was wrong about you." Regina's eyes widened. "When I was stuck in Fairy Tale Land, I was angry about Henry. About how I let him down. About how he was stuck in that fiery room when he slept." Regina shifted uncomfortably. "But I was also angry that he was stuck their because of the poisoned apple meant for _me_, the apple YOU spelled. Also, the fact that you hadn't stopped Henry from traveling to the netherworld while He slept." She paused as Regina's face fell, shoulders slumped miserably. She was surprised at how open Regina was being about her emotions. Emma didn't know what had happened while they were gone, but she found she liked this new Regina a whole lot. She reined herself in at that thought. She wasn't quite ready to admit that maybe she liked Regina. She sighed and continued, shifting when she felt Regina's eyes on her again. "But you worked with David and Rumpelstiltskin to get Henry out of there, and keep Cora out of Storybrooke. And, it seems you are the reason Snow and I survived the trip home. We wouldn't have made it without you. Thank you." Emma held out her hand, but Regina just eyed it. Then they both became very aware of the many faces staring intently out at them from the big windows in Granny's. Emma shrugged apologetically, then took a couple steps closer. Regina raised an eyebrow. "Miss Swan?" She asked, and Emma leaned in close and whispered "We aren't alone" She grinned at Regina, and found herself grinning wider when Regina responded with a small smile of her own.

"I noticed."

"Then let's give them something to talk about, shall we?"Regina's eyes widened considerably when she felt Emma's arms wrap around her in a big hug. "Thank you for protecting Henry," she mumbled into Regina's hair. All the other woman could do was let her hands stay suspended awkwardly on either side of Emma's back. But ever so slowly, they came down to gingerly hug Emma back. The savior pulled back from the hug, smiling gently. She nodded towards the door, and Regina did the only thing she think of in that moment—nod back. As they reached the door, Emma said quietly "Oh. And thank you again for whatever you did back there at the well. It saved Mary-Margaret's life, and mine. I really can't say it enough." Regina nodded silently, not sure how to respond to any acknowledgement of what she had done. Hushed voices greeted them as they walked into the diner together, and as they got close to the table with Snow, Charming, and Henry, Regina felt Emma's hand on her elbow, and turned to look into the other woman's eyes. Emma leaned in again and asked, "Are you alright? You seem a bit shaky. Do you need some water?" "…..Sure. Water sounds good." Regina responded, eyeing Emma once more. This was an unexpected turn of events, but she found she liked it. For once, someone was thinking about her and her needs. She looked towards the table, skimming past Charming and Snow's suspicious, guarded looks to Henry's open, happy, smiling face. She found her mouth turning upwards into a smile as well. Her heart felt lighter than it had in a while. Maybe Emma's return wasn't going to be such a bad thing after all…


End file.
